#maybe its a bit weird

[alicornze7]

Silly guys goin' on silly adventures:]

@rorydrawsandwrites's puppeteer au but the only difference is that jax gives consent

My contribution to this wonderful au has been long overdue:')

Rambling in tags ehe (cw: ribbun:p)

Well maybe it's not the only difference

[harbingersecho]

are we the sins we have committed? are we the things we have endured? [...] who are we?

[ref]

[aroaceleovaldez]

What is the PR disaster in question that made Rick announce TSATS? I wasn’t active in the online fandom at that point

Of course! This was awhile ago so it figures people don't remember it/aren't familiar:

Basically a couple years back (2020) the fandom had some posts circulate discussing the ways different characters in the Riordanverse were written poorly or offensively. There was a masterpost that went around tumblr but the two major points people were particularly focusing on were Piper and Samirah (particularly because Piper had featured prominently again in Trials of Apollo recently and the third MCGA book had further emphasized and discussed Samirah being Muslim, since it was supposed to take place during Ramadan). Basically each had multiple posts breaking down the ways they were depicted incorrectly or offensively. The entire fandom for a little bit was VERY intensely discussing this (and it's around this time the "RR crit" tag got very popularized on tumblr - it did exist before, but suddenly was being used VERY frequently - cause it was that wide-spread - though the discussion took over basically every side of Riordaverse social media on different platforms). People really wanted Rick to respond to these criticisms, so he did!

He made two blog posts, one about Piper and one about Samirah. He has since deleted both so the links are to archived versions. The short version: he essentially tried to justify his poor research and double-down that he hadn't written them offensively, actually, people were just being mean to him. The fandom, of course, reacted poorly to this.

[Further elaborated events under the cut since this got a bit lengthy]

(Fun fact, this all happened within a month or so of the time i posted an open letter on aphobic tropes in the Riordanverse that Rick replied to, and then he immediately followed with announcing that Reyna was intended to be ace-coded [which cause a LOT of fandom debate] before Rick dipped for a couple of weeks, and then came back to post the blog posts in response to Piper and Sam stuff. So I like to jokingly refer to this as "The time I imploded the fandom/drove Rick off of twitter." Twas I that set the house ablaze.)

Rick fully left social media after this and the LT Musical social media manager became Rick's social media manager for the time being.

So this all happened June/July of 2020. Tower of Nero would end up being published in October of 2020 and a few months after that Rick would state that he was done with the series and wouldn't be writing any more series installments involving Percy, and also that he wouldn't be writing a Nico quest following Tower of Nero as it "wasn't his place to" and encouraged the community to write their own versions of Nico's story.

The community continued to circulate the tumblr posts and discuss the topics of Rick's offensive character depictions, and this is also where we see the dramatic shift in how the fandom depicts Piper in fanwork (though in most cases it is admittedly not an improvement 😬) because of all this discussion. This is also around the time when the fandom brought Viria under scrutiny claiming that she was whitewashing Piper as part of the same discussions, through the justification that she was drawing Annabeth as having tan skin (which she does canonically), and if Annabeth has tanner skin then Piper then that's whitewashing Piper? Except they were using completely separate images of not fully rendered Piper art versus Annabeth in dramatic lighting, so it's all very awkward and poor logic, and did actually get kind of racist. A lot of people were calling it "Tannabeth Blackchase" (yeah, i know) or similar and a common sentiment you'd see repeated is "Don't draw Annabeth as having darker skin than Piper, because that's offensive/racist/whitewashing." (Note: it was not phrased "don't draw Piper as having lighter skin than Annabeth" - we also won't get into certain offensive depictions of Native Americans, but I digress). But yeah, the Annabeth stuff in all that did not age well at all.

Anyways, in October of 2021 however Rick would announce that he was co-writing The Sun And The Star - with a lot of heavy emphasis on how Mark Oshiro works as a sensitivity reader, and some false advertising from the official social media that Mark Oshiro was the first time a non-Riordan author would be collaborating on the series (disregarding the ghostwriters completely). One of the big criticisms in the breaking down of issues in Rick's writing was his lack of ever seeking a sensitivity reader, and fans claiming that a sensitivity reader could solve a lot of the problems. This was basically Rick's "look! I totally listened!!!!" (though it did little to actually improve things, based on the book) and in TSATS as well Piper gets a large cameo at the end where the text very directly addresses a lot of points made in criticism of Rick's writing of her.

We also then of course got the CoTG trilogy later, explicitly stated to be for advertising purposes for the show.

So basically, short version: Rick came under scrutiny for a lot of offensive writing within the span of two months, made some bad blog posts doubling down about it, left social media. TOA ends. Rick says he wasn't going to continue the series/write what would become TSATS. Community celebrates the end of of the franchise but also continues to discuss Rick's poor writing and the blog posts at length. Rick suddenly announces TSATS and Mark Oshiro's involvement. Everybody gets distracted from being mad. Show announcement stuff also happens and the discussions peter out.

[carnivalcarriondiscarded]

warlock wizard Wally scribbles... Thinkings! oh and a bonus bard-ish Barnabys in the corner for flavor

outfit ramblings:

first of all that is a Terrible rendition of what Home looks like in my head. i just needed to fill empty space </3

the staff was the toughest part honestly. bc it Had to be paintbrush-themed, but then halfway through scribbling i was like "oh shit. there are only so many ways to draw a paintbrush-wizard-staff and Weevmo already hit it out of the park." so if you're seeing similarities! you're right! i tried to make it as different as i could! there is Inspiration from their marvelous design, however accidental or subconscious! Apologies!

he gets a pointed hood instead of a hat because a) it looks great on him! and b) it has less of a chance of messing up his hair! also c) it helps muddle the difference between Wizard and Warlock. typically hoods have evil/duplicitous connotation - blur the lines! i want his long gloves and forearm wraps to have the same vibe. his neckerchief is a big help in hiding Home's seal!

his layered (loosely apple-themed) capelet (which the hood is attached to) has a nice high collar & hides the details of his loose shirt - eye embroidery! and some flowers on the shoulders but yk, mostly eyes. on one side of the shirt buttons has open eyes, the other side they're closed! there's also one big eye on his back!

his belt buckle is two halves of an apple! he wears tall thigh-high boots w/ low heels to feel Taller! he has a book-holster hooked to the back of his belt, which holds his grimoire! and he has a lil thigh-bag that has been magicked to be Bottomless and warps size! he can fit pretty much anything in there! canvases! paint! apples!

his half-skirt thing (idk what the word for it is!) is really plush, like a quilt - his capelet is the same fabric. soft, cozy. sometimes he'll use the skirt thing as a blanket in a pinch, or as a picnic placemat!

is his outfit a little Complicated? is it annoying to replicate? yes and yes. but im a maximalist at heart and Nothing But The Best for the blorbo <3 layers my beloved <3

[sideblogdotjpeg]

ive been thinking about the red string superstition recently and also sol bufo always and it makes me sick how uncannily caldwell tanner has made sol to perfectly target me personally

(+ cropped versions !)

[dailyloopdeloop]

DAY 71: shy

[morninkim]

that one movie sinbad did about the genie

[dykedvonte]

Do you have anything you've been thinking on but just haven't made a post about it yet? Also I'm really enjoying your fic!

I have a few things but it's likely mostly headcanons that I consider somewhat disconnected from my analysis.

Curly's parents had him old, only child, died shortly after he graduated and got the pony express position. It was the last big thing they saw him do which is a reason he stayed for so long.

Doesn't admit how much their death affected him

Jimmy has a largish family. One of the cases of too many kids to keep tract of, parent never really noticed any of them nor their behaviors

Anya lived in a lot of houses growing up, regular supportive family that just struggled to support themselves.

Became a nurse largely to avoid their financial struggles but mostly because she felt too many people weren't being cared for and advocated for in the world properly

Swansea likes high top sneakers most. Likes how snug they fit and how they shield his ankles at work

Curly has a bit of a caffeine problem since he can’t sleep. Can occasionally be found wandering the ship at “night” when he had some too late or just couldn’t sleep.

Daisuke knows a little about a lot of things. Starts conversations with “did you know” a lot but please don’t ask him deeper questions

Curly has known Jimmy longer but has worked with Anya and Swansea longer, met them during his middle years, met Jimmy shortly before college.

Swansea rents a house, Daisuke’s family lives in a big nice apartment, Curly has a condo, Anya live in a small one bedroom apartment and Jimmy has a studio.

Curly's home is very disconcerting. It's too normal to a like uncanny degree.

Anya is ambidextrous but prefers her left.

Anya and Curly are both not native English speakers so occasionally they forget words and bond over the mutual mocking they get from the rest of the crew. Daisuke knows some Japanese but is still learning, never picked it up as a kid

Only Swansea and Daisuke know how to drive, Earth in my mind is very post capitalist so only older people and like the extremely wealthy can afford cars.

It's also like walkable just due to how many businesses are in your face. Probably strict living vs shopping districts

I have more but the way that I headcanon about them is like too long.

[sonknuxadow]

sorry not to be negative or anything i think a lot of the jokes about maria dying are funny but am i the only one who thinks that its taking it a liiiittle too far to flood the comments of the live action actors posts with stuff about how shes gonna get shot or you cant wait to see her die (and yes this is actually happening im not making up a guy to get mad at)

[yuwuta]

itfs + reader is so real to me and it works like this: you’re megumi’s childhood best friend, somewhere along the way he meets yuuji, yuuji asks him out, and somewhere along the way—probably mid blowjob or something becuase that’s definitely when yuuji would be thinking about it—yuuji’s like “hey, so do you know you’re in love with your best friend or what?” and megumi literally chokes, and avoids him for like a week but eventually he does admit that he does know, but he also does really like yuuji and if they were normal, they’d break up, but they’re so very far from normal that it becomes a whole thing for them to get off while talking about you, for yuuji to taunt megumi about how he wishes you were here between them and tease him about naughty it is that he fantasizes about his best friend while getting sucked off by his boyfriend, and for megumi to tell him to shutup but then he babbles about all of he pent up fantasies about you anyway. yuuji likes messing with megumi’s guilt about this, and megumi hates how much he likes that yuuji is also into you, and somehow you being oblivious to this is a whole other kink they’ve got going on and have no idea how to sort out

[mithliya]

the rhetoric that its easier for het women to just be celibate for life than it is for them to do something significantly smaller like give up makeup or stop shaving is.. quite strange and disconnected. like if we want to argue it is possible for het women to give up men & not be with men, i agree. if we want to argue its possible for het women to have happy, fulfilling lives without men, i agree. i don't even disagree with the argument that being a separatist is a crucial aspect of being a radical feminist. but we can argue all of these things without pretending like certain acts are easier than they are. for some women, even giving up makeup is not easy. but at the end of the day, no its not easy to commit to something like never having a romantic & sexual partner for the rest of your life!! like!! feminism and radical actions are not easy, they can be easy for some of us but its not easy overall & pretending like its a small little sacrifice just seems ridiculous

[buwheal]

Yessir, boss man! See you on the other side. o7

[cali]

--runaway harpy- crops under cut

+printz

[fruitybashir]

I'm re reading holidate for the second time and im finding all these little notes that I left in the epub last time, and honestly i think me of the past was inspired for this one

oops, my hand slipped 😗

“Red please!” Bojan declares cheerfully as he slaps down a “+4” with a colour wheel. “And I am down to my last card.”

There’s a collective groan around the table and Bojan bounces up and down on the couch next to Kris, a big, happy grin on his face. Kris is fuming. He stares down at his fan of cards. Lots of green, some yellow, not a single red one. He grinds his teeth and draws another card.

“Aw, no reds? I’m sorry bejbi,” Bojan coos and presses a quick peck to his cheek. Kris feels like he might actually start biting.

Jure reluctantly lays down a red four, Jan follows with a red zero, defeat already painted on his face. Nace hesitates for a second, then a smile spreads on his face and he puts down a blue zero. There’s a collective Ooooh around the table and Kris feels a sense of righteous satisfaction that almost borders on concerning.

He turns to look at Bojan, expecting to see disappointment, annoyance even at having his win stolen from him for at least one more round, but instead what he sees is a wide grin, teeth shining, eyes wide. Victorious. Oh no.

Bojan lays down a blue six.

“Uno!”

Everyone tosses their cards on the table in frustration while Bojan giggles happily, already shuffling the cards for another round. Jure lights himself another cigarette, offering another to Jan. Jan puts it between his lips with an appreciative noise, then presses it against Jure’s to light it as well.

“I’m out,” Kris grumbles and slumps back into the couch. Jan shoots him a sympathetic look and bumps his foot under the coffee table. Kris’ patience for losing to Bojan usually doesn't last longer than five or six rounds.

“How did you even– but you asked for red.” Nace stammers, staring down at Bojan's blue six as if it held the answers. Bojan shrugs.

“I'm just that good,” he grins. Kris groans.

“You're so full of yourself.”

Jan pats Nace's thigh in consolation. “You did the best you could.” He takes a drag of his cigarette, then leans in and lets the smoke ghost over Nace's lips as he speaks. “I'm still proud of you.”

Kris wrinkles his nose as he watches them unashamedly make out right in front of all of them. Jure deals out new stacks of cards as if he doesn't even see them.

“Kris, you sure you're out?”

“Yeah, I need a break.” Kris says and Jure nods, skips his spot as he hands out the cards.

“You can be my cheerleader,” Bojan suggests, leaning close into Kris and with a giddy uplift to his voice that makes Kris want to drag him home, push his face into the pillows and shut him up. He takes a deep breath.

“Sure,” he says and turns to Bojan with the brightest fake smile he can manage. “Because you definitely need cheering on to win.”

“If I win the next game for you,” Bojan starts and does an unfortunately very good job at looking at Kris sweetly from under his eyelashes. “Do I get to kiss the cheerleader?”

Kris flexes his jaw.

“You know what?” he smiles and he rests his elbow on the backrest of the couch, reaches up to tuck a strand of Bojan's hair behind his ear. “If you win the next game, I'll wear the blue set tonight.”

There's a choking sound from the other side of the coffee table, then coughing as Jan and Nace's little shotgunning session comes to an abrupt end. Jure whistles.

Bojan's face lights up like the sun.

“Easy!” he declares, already reaching for his new stack of cards. “Fastest win of my Uno career.”

Jan shoots Kris a disbelieving look, deep betrayal written on his face. Kris just shrugs. He has a plan.

Kris leaves his arm on the back of the couch as the rest of the guys start the next round. He traces his fingers along the neck of Bojan’s shirt, just barely grazing the skin enough to cause a light shiver.

He lets Bojan enjoy his feeling of safety for two turns, then he lets his fingers wander up into Bojan’s hair. He twirls a few strands around his fingers, toys with them, then runs his fingers down again, along the side of Bojan’s neck and over his collarbones.

“Kris…” Bojan mumbles and his shoulder twitches, trying to shrug off Kris. He puts down a red seven, concentrating on the cards in his hands and closely watching what colours the others follow up with.

Kris has no intention of letting up anytime soon. He’s barely even started. He dips his hand under the hem of Bojan’s shirt, pressing his palm flat against the other’s chest and letting his fingertips brush over the dusting of chest hair there. Bojan sighs, but other than that, shows impressive restraint. He counters Nace’s yellow zero with a green one. Kris moves in closer.

He presses a kiss into Bojan’s hair, then brings his hand up further a little, to the base of Bojan’s neck. He doesn’t press down, but Bojan still tenses against him, and Kris can feel him swallow under his fingers. Bojan has to draw two cards.

Jan raises his eyebrow at Kris across the table, lips twitching with a barely suppressed smile. He’s definitely figured it out by now.

Kris grins, and draws his hand back. Bojan instantly lets out a breath that he probably wasn’t even aware he was holding, and Kris thinks it’s almost a little cute that he thinks he’s safe now. He runs his fingertips over Bojan’s back, along his spine and down, until he can lift up the other’s shirt enough to touch Bojan’s skin again.

“Kris,” Bojan makes, again, and there is a warning in there, but Kris knows that tone well. He leans down to press a kiss to Bojan’s neck. Bojan shivers. He hesitates, then places a green five.

Kris runs his fingers along the waistband of Bojan’s sweatpants to his sides, let’s his fingertips dance up and down, drawing patterns over the skin and he feels Bojan’s muscles twitch under his touch, his breath hitch when Kris traces over a spot that he knows drives Bojan crazy.

“Bojan?” Jure asks and there is audible amusement in his voice. “It’s your turn.”

“Huh?” Bojan startles, then he suddenly sits up straighter, letting out an annoyed noise as he rolls his shoulders to get Kris’ mouth off his neck. There’s a snort from Nace as Bojan places his “Skip turn” card and Kris is sure that if he could see Bojan’s face right now, he would find that the other is blushing.

He keeps his hand on Bojan’s side for another turn, showing at least a little bit of mercy before he brings his hand back around, rests his fingers against the base of Bojan’s spine. He lets his eyes wander over the table. Jan is only holding two cards now. Bojan is still holding four.

Kris dips his fingers under the waistband of Bojan’s pants, then the waistband of his briefs. Bojan tenses. Kris doesn’t stop. He pushes down a little further, his middle finger now resting over the dip of Bojan’s ass.

“One card left.” Jan announces on his turn.

“What- How?” Bojan stares down at his own cards, his finger worrying the corner of a “+2” card he’s holding. He’s trying so hard to stay focussed. Kris dips his middle finger between Bojan’s cheeks and Bojan straightens his back like he’s got hit by lightning. When Kris keeps shooting innocent looks around the table, he can almost see the pity on Nace’s face when the other places down a red “+2”.

Kris’s finger finds Bojan’s hole and Bojan’s breath hitches. He shivers. Kris pushes down, just lightly, but it’s enough for a small noise to escape Bojan’s throat, quiet enough that Kris is sure he’s the only one to hear it. Bojan draws two cards. Kris grins victorious.

Jure places a red four, Jan follows with a red zero.

“Uno!” he declares and the table cheers. Kris pulls back his hand and leans back on the sofa, away from Bojan.

Bojan gapes at Jan’s last card on the stack, as if they had somehow personally betrayed him. His head flies around to glare at Kris.

“You-” he starts and Kris shrugs.

“Well, that’s a bummer,” Kris says, purposely nonchalant. “I always thought the blue one really compliments my eyes.”

[tomboyyyaoi]

[puppyeared]

its so hard to watch time pass when things like careers and assignments exist. what do you mean im supposed to take that seriously